Baylor Business Students Talk Gambling in Christianity Today Article
Three Hankamer School of Business undergraduates were recently published in Christianity Today, offering a faith-informed perspective on the rapid growth of online sports betting among college students.
The students were featured in The Syllabus, a monthly column that highlights how evangelical college students across the country are thinking about national issues. September’s prompt asked students what they have seen of online gambling among their peers and how the church should respond. Baylor Business students accounted for three of the five published responses.
The students wrote their responses as part of Christian Ethics Applied to Business, taught by Blaine McCormick, professor of Management.
“A key goal of our ‘Christian Ethics Applied to Business’ class is to help our students learn how to lead with their ethical voice,” McCormick said. “Because online gambling is a business, our students had something of a home-court advantage in speaking to this issue. They did excellent and faithful work identifying the opportunity costs of money spent on gambling, championing moderation and calling out the blaming of athletes for gambling losses.”
Luke Dumas, a senior studying Finance and Supply Chain Management, wrote about watching casual betting among friends during NFL games grow into wagers on weather and overseas basketball games at 4:30 in the morning. Dumas argued that, much like drinking, gambling is not inherently sinful but can become so when it turns excessive. He encouraged the church to support those struggling with addiction without becoming legalistic.
“The intent and desire behind the act are what make it a sin,” Dumas said.
Margaret Reid, a senior majoring in Supply Chain and Risk Management, described seeing gambling become a daily rhythm for her peers, with one friend relying on his roommate for a week after a losing streak. Reid called on church leaders to teach young people more purposeful ways to use their money, emphasizing tithing and generosity.
“Gambling quietly drains us, but giving allows us to build something better,” Reid said.
Kenda Worthy, a Management and Entrepreneurship senior and NCAA athlete, wrote about friends downloading betting apps during her freshman year. Worthy pushed back on the comparison between gambling and investing and noted that athletes often take the blame when bettors lose money.
“Sports betting has essentially become the new get-rich-quick scheme,” Worthy said. “It moves people toward becoming more money-obsessed, which is the opposite of the virtues we find in the Christian faith and in the person of Jesus Christ.”
Read the full column on Christianity Today’s website.
